John, you are definitely good at taking complex things and translating them into simple language so guys like me can understand it . There are several key posts in this thread that I have read once or twice and can still remember exactly what they were saying. Taking complex things and condensing them into a simple and logical idea...something that sticks! Great skillset...maybe you can put out a trading 101 book. I have read alot of trading books and not many were worth it. We definately need some better stuff out there!
Knew there was a teacher in there somewhere. Well thanks for all the teaching you continue to do here on ET.
I think my personality type explains a lot. I'm an INFJ. INFJ's are big teachers. But this description really describes me well. "As an INFJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via intuition. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit with your personal value system. INFJs are gentle, caring, complex and highly intuitive individuals. Artistic and creative, they live in a world of hidden meanings and possibilities. Only one percent of the population has an INFJ Personality Type, making it the most rare of all the types. INFJs place great importance on havings things orderly and systematic in their outer world. They put a lot of energy into identifying the best system for getting things done, and constantly define and re-define the priorities in their lives. On the other hand, INFJs operate within themselves on an intuitive basis which is entirely spontaneous. They know things intuitively, without being able to pinpoint why, and without detailed knowledge of the subject at hand. They are usually right, and they usually know it. Consequently, INFJs put a tremendous amount of faith into their instincts and intuitions. This is something of a conflict between the inner and outer worlds, and may result in the INFJ not being as organized as other Judging types tend to be. Or we may see some signs of disarray in an otherwise orderly tendency, such as a consistently messy desk. INFJs have uncanny insight into people and situations. They get "feelings" about things and intuitively understand them. As an extreme example, some INFJs report experiences of a psychic nature, such as getting strong feelings about there being a problem with a loved one, and discovering later that they were in a car accident. This is the sort of thing that other types may scorn and scoff at, and the INFJ themself does not really understand their intuition at a level which can be verbalized. Consequently, most INFJs are protective of their inner selves, sharing only what they choose to share when they choose to share it. They are deep, complex individuals, who are quite private and typically difficult to understand. INFJs hold back part of themselves, and can be secretive. But the INFJ is as genuinely warm as they are complex. INFJs hold a special place in the heart of people who they are close to, who are able to see their special gifts and depth of caring. INFJs are concerned for people's feelings, and try to be gentle to avoid hurting anyone. They are very sensitive to conflict, and cannot tolerate it very well. Situations which are charged with conflict may drive the normally peaceful INFJ into a state of agitation or charged anger. They may tend to internalize conflict into their bodies, and experience health problems when under a lot of stress. Because the INFJ has such strong intuitive capabilities, they trust their own instincts above all else. This may result in an INFJ stubborness and tendency to ignore other people's opinions. They believe that they're right. On the other hand, INFJ is a perfectionist who doubts that they are living up to their full potential. INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves - there's always something else they should be doing to improve themselves and the world around them. They believe in constant growth, and don't often take time to revel in their accomplishments. They have strong value systems, and need to live their lives in accordance with what they feel is right. In deference to the Feeling aspect of their personalities, INFJs are in some ways gentle and easy going. Conversely, they have very high expectations of themselves, and frequently of their families. They don't believe in compromising their ideals. INFJ is a natural nurturer; patient, devoted and protective. They make loving parents and usually have strong bonds with their offspring. They have high expectations of their children, and push them to be the best that they can be. This can sometimes manifest itself in the INFJ being hard-nosed and stubborn. But generally, children of an INFJ get devoted and sincere parental guidance, combined with deep caring. In the workplace, the INFJ usually shows up in areas where they can be creative and somewhat independent. They have a natural affinity for art, and many excel in the sciences, where they make use of their intuition. INFJs can also be found in service-oriented professions. They are not good at dealing with minutia or very detailed tasks. The INFJ will either avoid such things, or else go to the other extreme and become enveloped in the details to the extent that they can no longer see the big picture. An INFJ who has gone the route of becoming meticulous about details may be highly critical of other individuals who are not. The INFJ individual is gifted in ways that other types are not. Life is not necessarily easy for the INFJ, but they are capable of great depth of feeling and personal achievement. " http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ.html
I took something called a D.I.S.C. assessment recently. Kinda similar to what you've got here. I wanted to know what my weaknesses were, (since self identification can be impossible). Seems to me that the better I can understand my strengths and weaknesses, the better chance I have at creating situations for me to excel in, (kinda works well for trading).
Can we get back on topic instead of self absorbtion....... jehshs Corzine , get over that stuff acroynms, all the BS, people are here to learn how to make $$ what is working what is not and why
Could not agree MORE, but we are so F,n off topic because nobody wants to share whats working and whats not... We need a entire new website devoted to traders, most people here need craigslist.org
ACD is a method, pwr, and personality is a huge part of being able to follow a method. So, I think Mav was sharing the Briggs/Meyers, which you should take. It will help you. Also, what's working depends on the market and timeframe you trade. What has been shared here does work, but you will have to adapt it to your trading style.
I agree that your perspective plays a key role in your trading, and understanding that willl make you a better trader, but from a strict ACD trading standpoint, (if you trade equities) take a look at CF Industries, (probably the best equity play on the grains that Mav was talking about) and I also like US Steel here, (X). When the market pulled back slightly this week, they didn't. Both are above the monthlies that I have, but I'd be interested in seeing a little more strength out of CF first, X looks pretty good, but I need an ACD reason to get long, and don't have it just yet.
I don't really think it matters what I test. I picked the SPY because it and the ES are so popular to trade. All I am doing is profiling behavior. That profile should dictate ideal trading strategies. A different product would give different figures but the concept is still the same. It can also help show if certain products are worth trading or if specific trades are worth taking. IE on SPY it shows me that breakouts from the open are worth trading if you get in at a certain point before it has moved too far. After that the RR diminishes so even if you got a clear entry signal by your method you still should probably pass on the trade. Once price has reached a certain point, which happens to be near Mark Fishers A levels the vast majority of the time, you should not trade for breakouts unless price clearly demonstrates it has strong action outside that area. (confirmed A down/up) I think it is interesting that Maverick has suggested using a shorter OR period if one is targeting breakouts and a wider one if looking to implement a fade strategy. This is basically what the numbers have confirmed to me, but a more ideal way to approach it as far as I can tell is to simply use different distances from the open price instead of a shorter or longer OR period. Essentialy by using a shorter OR period you are shifting the A level up closer to the smaller figure I have been discussing(.16 on the SPY), and by using a longer one it tends to move it down to the outer end of the normal distribution. I think this is purely a function of time rather than anything especially signifigant. Again from what I have seen plotting off the opening price is remarkably close to plotting off the open range using MF figures. I'm not sure if one is better than the other aside from a computing perspective. From that angle plotting off the open would take less resources and allow one to screen many more products.